The invention relates to an anti-microbial composition useful for cleaning of any body part but especially suitable for hair and scalp. Hair care compositions generally provide cleansing or conditioning benefits or a combination of the two. Such compositions typically comprise one or more cleansing surfactants which generally aid in cleaning the hair and/or the scalp free of undesirable soil, particles, and fatty matter.
Additionally, anti-dandruff benefit has been provided through hair care compositions. Dandruff is an issue that affects many people globally. The condition is manifested by the shedding of clumps of dead skin cells from the scalp. These are white in colour and provide an aesthetically displeasing appearance. A factor that contributes to dandruff are certain members of the Malassezia yeasts. To combat these, anti-dandruff products have been developed in the form of hair cleansing shampoos. An example of a known anti-dandruff shampoo comprises sodium lauryl ether sulfate (an ethoxylated anionic surfactant) in combination with an anti-dandruff agent. Typical anti-dandruff agents used in hair care are metal pyrithione e.g zinc pyrithione (ZPTO), octopirox (piroctone olamine), azole antimicrobials (e.g. climbazole), selenium sulfide and combinations thereof.
While the problem of dandruff is mitigated to a large extent through use of the above actives in such shampoos, there is a need for enhancing the efficacy of these actives. The present inventors have found through a combination of exploring very many possible mechanisms by which the efficacy of one of the above actives (zinc pyrithione) can be enhanced together with extensive experiments on possible enhancer candidates that a certain compounds of the piperazine class display such enhancing properties. The synergistic antimicrobial combination of this invention can also be formulated into products for skin cleansing e.g. body and face care.
Piperazines are a very large family of compounds which have been reported for very many different uses including as sunscreen agents and has been reported to be used in skin care compositions.
WO97/29733 (Neutrogena) discloses a composition comprising a fungal ergosterol biosynthesis antifungal (preferably an azole or an allylamine) and a pyrithione salt.
A. Y. LEE ET AL: “Mapping the Cellular Response to Small Molecules Using Chemogenomic Fitness Signatures”, SCIENCE, vol. 344, no. 6180, 11 Apr. 2014 (2014 Apr. 11), pages 208-211 (“the science paper”) discloses a study on mapping the cellular response to small molecules with a yeast-genomic tool in loss of function assays. This paper discloses the molecules 13, 17, 22 and 26, (which are similar to the compounds claimed in the present invention) to target the ergosterol biosynthesis and its function in the membrane.
The above two publications disclose compounds which singly or in combination are reported to knock down ergosterol biosynthesis and function in yeast.
Thus, there is no report of the actives of the present invention in combination with metal pyrithione nor is there any indication that they can be combined to provide synergistic anti-microbial activity.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide for a personal care composition that exhibits synergistic antimicrobial activity as compared to the individual components.